Edelman: rise up, PR, rise up!

Richard
Edelman does it again. With a stirring post entitled "I Am Even More Certain That Now Is Our Time" (see Open‘s
take on his last ruminations in "Thus Spake Edelman") following a star-chamber-esque gathering new and old media minds at Edelman HQ
in New York he calls for PR to seize its moment and meet the challenges of the new connected media world.

Frankly,
as a smaller, hopefully nimbler competitor, it should be disconcerting that a
PR gorilla like Mr Edelman gets it as much as he seems to. But it’s not. It’s thrilling and it really helps when you are putting the case to colleagues about
the scale and significance of the changes in the media that are taking place to be able to invoke his point of view as part of your argument.

Here are his key points:

1)
We have to promote PR as a discipline ideally suited to this next period. We
should take some chances, put aside money for specific venture investing in
projects with our clients and then publicize the results.
2)
We should modify our tone from selling to factual, our concept from one big
bang to continuous conversation. We need to admit complexity and contradiction.
We need to persuade our clients that less control, of the message and the
messenger, means enhanced trust.
3)
We can have direct connection with consumers, particularly those who are avid
users of specific products or experts in their area of choice. The same goes
with employees who are the new influentials, as credibility is enhanced with
communication coming from the inside out.
4)
Social networks are a big deal. I am not clear how we enter into the
conversation on MySpace or Facebook. But I am certain that my 14 year old
spends an hour a day in her little community and that these intersecting
circles are the next big idea.

The most important point he makes here is: "We need to persuade our clients that less control, of the message and the
messenger, means enhanced trust."

There’s no shortage of ideas or opportunities for new approaches to corporate communications. But investment in client understanding of the new realities in media and marketing has to be the priority right now.

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